Philippine online gambling operators find ways round e-wallet restrictions
Online gambling sites in the Philippines have moved to new platforms as the government increases restrictions on e-wallets.
Providers were ordered to block gambling access through in-app features by the Central Bank, Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, on 14 August 2025.
Two of the Philippines’ most popular e-wallets, Maya and GCash, confirmed that they removed gambling links from their apps by 16 August 2025.
Chair of the Senate Committee on Games and Amusement, Sen. Erwin Tulfo, said, “We laud the move of the e-wallet firms to delink these online gambling sites from their platforms. This is a sign that the business sector is willing to work with the government in addressing the problem of online gambling addiction in our country.”
However, Tulfo warned that gambling websites had begun moving their operations to other payment platforms, citing the PAGCOR-licensed operator BingoPlus, which told players they could continue using Maya and GCash through the messaging app Viber.
During a Senate hearing on 14 August, the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center also reported that 8,901 illegal gambling websites were taken down. Yet, it is estimated that 11,985 were still operating, including 6,363 online casino platforms and 4,815 online cockfighting sites. Tulfo added, “The fight against the accessibility of gambling to the public is far from over, and we will do our best to work with the private sector and other stakeholders.”
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